


Until Dawn Comes

by justbloodypeachy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Sad Ending, Twelve Gods of Olympus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:20:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28831845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbloodypeachy/pseuds/justbloodypeachy
Summary: Bokuto might have fallen, but Akaashi never thought he would too.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Kudos: 2





	1. the fall of icarus

Lately, Akaashi found himself feeling exhausted from the long hours at the publishing company. It was hard to focus when his thoughts were mainly preoccupied with the warm embrace of his bed, but he couldn’t deny the emptiness he always felt, coming back to an empty apartment day after day. More often than not, he would wake up in the middle of the night feeling a strange sense of loneliness with only the echoing sound of the clock ticking amidst the silence to accompany him. 

He took another sip of his lukewarm instant coffee, squinting his eyes at the computer screen as the words began to blur. Akaashi took off his glasses and placed them on his cluttered desk. They weren’t doing much to help, but he was tired of going to the optometrist every few months to get a new pair. He was busy enough trying to do his job as an editor.

Akaashi was sure that his eyebags would be more prominent than ever after pulling another all-nighter to fix the mistakes of the new intern. He leaned back in his chair rubbing harshly at his eyes with his palms in hopes of staying awake long enough to finish editing the last few pages. 

With a sigh he got back to work, the steady clicking of his keyboard as he typed, a metronome to the fatigue weighing down his eyelids. Akaashi gulped down the rest of his coffee, powering through the last few edits just in time for him to clock out. Relief coursed through his veins, triumph on his tongue, as a small smile danced on his lips. 

He stood up, stretching his aching muscles. Akaashi quickly tidied up all the papers scattered over his desk and grabbed his satchel, slinging it over his shoulder and beginning his walk home. He waved good-bye to the other workers on the way out, their tired farewells following him out the door. 

Despite the fact that he was exhausted, the thought of coming home to an empty house yet again didn’t seem all that appealing and he reached for his phone, his finger hovering over the contact of one of his high school friends whom he hadn’t talked to in weeks. But he quickly remembered that his friend was a complainer when drunk and tended to give advice based on his own terrible dating experiences. Akaashi could already feel the headache forming from having to listen to another one of his long speeches about his ex-girlfriend and he hastily turned off his phone, shoving it back into his pocket before he could make the mistake of calling him again. 

Another sigh escaped his lips and he began kicking pebbles around as he walked, his hands shoved in the too-small pockets of his jacket. The familiar cracked sidewalks and the faint sound of the train running over the railroad tracks were routine, one that Akaashi found himself growing tired of. 

When he began working at the company he had high hopes and dreamed of being a part of the literature department but when he landed in the editing department, he felt as though he was doused in cold water, faced with the harsh truth that his dreams couldn’t always be reality. The good old days of being a kid and enjoying the endless opportunities of wishing he could save the world along with his high school friends were gone and now, loneliness was a friendly face that seemed to always keep him company.

Akaashi’s gaze lifted for a moment as the sky darkened and the sun dipped below the horizon before his eyes flickered back towards his worn leather shoes, dust lightly coating its surfaces. He crouched down to brush them off when his attention was caught by sudden movement a few feet in front of him. He blinked away the sleep in his eyes to see a large shadow that seemed to be growing larger as the seconds passed. 

Nervous, he lifted his gaze towards the sky again just in time to see a flurry of limbs and feathers crash to the ground, sending clouds of dust in his direction. He coughed and covered his face with one of his hands while he used the other to wave away the haze blocking his vision. 

Akaashi instinctively approached the unknown mass, ignoring the small part of his brain that was telling him to run in the opposite direction. Clearly, watching binge-watching all those horror movies back in high school had taught him nothing. He couldn’t deny that there was something pulling him closer and telling him to investigate. 

As the dust began to clear, Akaashi began to think he was hallucinating from his lack of sleep. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes once, twice, three times and still, what he saw did not change. He was indeed looking at a foot and as his gaze trailed higher, he paused. 

He wiped his sweaty hands on the sides of his pants, feeling his cheeks begin to burn. There was an unconscious man laying in front of him clad in only what could be described as a Greek chiton (he had seen it once in a t.v. show and the image stuck with him ever since). Akaashi wasn’t sure where exactly he could have come from seeing as he literally fell from the sky but he knew he couldn’t leave him on the ground when he might be injured. 

As he approached him, Akaashi couldn’t help but be taken aback by how beautiful the man was. He had flawless skin that miraculously looked unharmed and he was surrounded in what looked to be feathers. Akaashi knelt down, his fingers reaching out to touch the unconscious man’s shoulder to shake him awake when a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. 

Akaashi’s breath caught in his throat as a flash of gold and fire ran through him, burning trails of heat on his skin like hot wax. 

His blue eyes met the stranger’s gold ones and they both stilled, unsure of what to make of one another.

“Are you alright?” Akaashi managed to ask the golden-eyed stranger, nervous under the owl-like gaze still locked on him. 

“Yes,” the man chirped, seemingly remembering his grip on Akaashi’s wrist and quickly letting go to brush away the dust and feathers clinging to his clothes. He faltered in his movements, his white-grey hair perking up, accentuated by the black streaks scattered throughout. Confusion furrowed his brows as he turned towards Akaashi, who was watching him closely and examining him for any possible injuries, “Where am I?”

Akaashi did a double-take from the fact that this man could clearly speak and understand Japanese yet didn’t know where he was. 

“Where are you?” Akaashi slowly repeated, his mind struggling to catch up with the fact that such a beautiful man could be standing in front of him and looking like a lost baby owl. He almost wanted to laugh at the pout tugging on his lips as the man began walking around with a bounce in his step, examining the small weeds and flowers growing from cracks in the sidewalk. The man nodded at Akaashi’s words and Akaashi frowned. He wasn’t quite sure how he should answer his question so he simply said, “You’re in Japan.”

“Japan?” the man questioned, excitement filling his voice as his eyes widened in what appeared to be recognition. He tilted his head towards Akaashi who nodded in return and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Koutarou Bokuto,” Bokuto replied, a bright smile lighting up his face.

“Keiji Akaashi,” Akaashi offered with a small smile of his own. It was a genuine smile, one that hadn’t crossed his face in a long while but something about this boy who reminded him of sunshine made him forget about the disappointment he faced with his job and the empty house waiting for him to return to. 

“Nice to meet you, Akaashi,” Bokuto beamed, forcefully extending a hand for him to shake. He dragged out Akaashi’s name and his pronunciation was more of a “g” rather than a “k” but Akaashi couldn’t find the energy to correct him. 

Akaashi reached out a hand and placed it in his. Bokuto’s warm grip once again made Akaashi falter for a moment but the words lingering on his tongue fell from his lips anyway, “Where did you come from?”

Bokuto’s hair seemed to droop as he registered Akaashi’s question. A frown tugged at his lips again and he muttered, “I ran away.”

“You ran away?” Akaashi was bewildered. He couldn’t imagine where Bokuto could have possibly ran away from that would lead to him falling out of the sky. “Where did you run away from? And why?”

Bokuto’s hair drooped even further and his gaze lowered to the ground. He began shifting back and forth on his sandal-clad feet as if he were a child being scolded by a parent. Through pouting lips he murmured, “I ran away from up there,” he pointed towards the sky, “Everyone was being mean and I didn’t want to listen to them anymore.”

Akaashi stared at Bokuto in confusion. He could sense that the man was telling him the truth but he couldn’t quite wrap his head around the fact that Bokuto lived in the sky so he simply nodded along. “Well, are you able to go back?”

Bokuto paused to think, placing his hands on either side of his hips as he looked at Akaashi, “No, but it’s okay. I don’t want to go back anyway. I’ve always wanted to come to the mortal world.”

Akaashi froze at Bokuto’s words. His mind struggled to process what Bokuto meant by “mortal world” but he decided it was best not to question his strange behavior and instead Akaashi continued to examine him. 

Bokuto roamed around, making sure not to stray too far away from Akaashi and he occasionally glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, a grin playing on his lips every time he locked eyes with Akaashi. It was as though Bokuto was reassuring himself that Akaashi hadn’t left him. Akaashi’s cheeks warmed at the thought and he mentally shook his head choosing to move his eyes away from the curious man whose attention seemed to be captivated by just about everything.

The sky was now pitch black and the stars were beginning to make their appearance, twinkling brightly over the two men. Akaashi hadn’t realized how late it had gotten and he brought out his phone, his blue eyes widening once he saw it was 7:00. 

“What’s that, Akaashi?” Bokuto asked, once again replacing the ‘k’ in his name with a ‘g’. His golden eyes shined brightly in the darkness and although the nearest streetlight was quite a few feet away, somehow it looked as though Bokuto was glowing. Akaashi blinked furiously, concerned he was hallucinating but no matter how many times he blinked, he still saw the unmistakable warmth coming from Bokuto. 

“What?” Akaashi questioned, the word slurring from his exhaustion.

Bokuto pointed towards the phone clutched in his hand, the black screen lighting up to show his lock screen which was a collage of his favorite quotes as Akaashi’s finger pressed down on power button.

“It’s a phone,” Akaashi replied, clearing his throat. “You can use it to communicate with other people and play games and watch videos,” he shrugged, “It has many uses. You can pretty much do anything with a phone.”

Bokuto’s eyes lit up and he was practically bouncing on his feet. He plastered a pleading look on his face as his gaze flickered between the phone and Akaashi. His lips jutted out in a pout and Akaashi couldn’t help but chuckle. 

He handed over the phone, his hand brushing against Bokuto’s in the process, sending waves of heat up his arm. He swallowed harshly.

Akaashi’s body temperature had always been more cold and the unfamiliar warmth Bokuto offered was a strange sensation he had yet to get used to. He became lost in thought as he watched Bokuto fiddle around with the device, the phone appearing tiny in his large hands.

Akaashi’s brows furrowed in worry as he remembered Bokuto’s confident response to his question about him running away and he asked, “Wait a minute, where are you going to stay? Do you have any money?”

Bokuto looked up at him with a childish grin splitting his face, “Nope!”

Akaashi covered his face with a sigh. He had never imagined anyone could say something so astounding with so much confidence. 

His mind raced to figure out a plan to help the obviously helpless man in front of him, whose surprisingly large muscles were flexing as he chased around a butterfly, the phone forgotten in his hand. The sight was amusing to see and Akaashi felt laughter bubbling in his throat, a quiet chuckle slipping past his lips. 

Bokuto’s owl-like hair perked up the moment the blue butterfly decided to land itself on his nose. He immediately turned to Akaashi with a cross-eyed look on his face and a grin. 

“Look, Akaashi!” he exclaimed, excitedly. Akaashi shared his excitement watching how happy the golden-eyed man was but it seemed as though the butterfly didn’t share the same sentiment. It fluttered its wings and promptly flew off into the night at Bokuto’s loud voice, causing his shoulders to sag. 

“It flew away,” he pouted, “Did it not like me?”

“You were just too loud, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi replied, calmly, his face now back to its usual dead-pan expression, devoid of the amusement it held only moments ago. “It was startled by your excitement. Perhaps you should lower your voice the next time you encounter one.”

Bokuto nodded, feeling more at ease having heard Akaashi’s assurances and he began wandering around the area once again, his fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the phone when a loud noise broke through the choir of crickets chirping in the night. The two of them froze as Bokuto stared down at his stomach.

Akaashi broke the silence when the sight of Bokuto pitifully rubbing his stomach got too much to bear. 

“Would you like to go eat, Bokuto-san?” Akaashi offered, realizing he was starving himself. “You must be hungry.”

Bokuto’s eyes glowed warmly at his question and Akaashi felt the usual weight of his loneliness leaving his chest, knowing that he would be sharing a meal with someone else.

Perhaps tonight wouldn't be so bad after all.


	2. Chapter 2: pomegranate seeds

They found themselves at a McDonald’s. Akaashi wasn’t really sure what Bokuto wanted to eat and he figured going safe would be the easiest option. 

Their trek to the fast food restaurant was anything but boring with how Bokuto constantly found something new to examine and question Akaashi about. Akaashi answered his questions in as simple terms as possible with Bokuto nodding along in response before quickly changing the subject to another object he found interesting. A part of him was skeptical of Bokuto’s story from how absurd it seemed but the more time he spent with Bokuto, the more he found himself believing him. There was something in his childlike wonder as the two of them stumbled around the city that couldn’t be faked.

It took around an hour for them to actually reach their destination and while Akaashi’s stomach suffered from his hunger, he found he didn’t regret taking the time to explain everything to Bokuto. The thought crossed his mind that many might’ve found his questions annoying, but Akaashi felt at ease, watching Bokuto experience everything for what seemed like the first time. 

Bokuto, on the other hand, was simply excited to be sharing a meal with someone and he was grateful that the first person he met was Akaashi. He wasn’t sure if everyone in the mortal world was as nice as he was but so far, everything about this place was as amazing as he thought it would be.

Currently, his fascination was with the burger in his hand, he couldn’t get over how delicious it was and he was too lost in his hunger to really care about taking careful bites like Akaashi was. Somehow, it seemed as though Bokuto’s attention could only handle focusing on one thing at a time which was why he didn’t seem to notice the stares he was getting from everyone around him. Their whispers could be heard by Akaashi whose hand tightened around his drink. 

He disliked the fact that there were strangers commenting on what they knew nothing about. They didn’t know Bokuto nor did they know him, so what gave them the right to judge them? 

In hindsight, it might have been better for Akaashi to take him shopping for clothes before taking him out to eat but he had already promised Bokuto a meal and the thought actually slipped in his mind that Bokuto’s outfit wasn’t something normally seen in Japan. He did his best to ignore the comments and focused on eating his salad, but his uncomfortable state didn’t go unnoticed by Bokuto.

He paused mid-bite, his gaze flickering between his burger and Akaashi who was too lost in thought to notice. Bokuto cocked his head to the side, his eyes widening and his hair drooping as he did so. He extended what was left of the burger in Akaashi’s direction, “I’m sorry for not offering you some of my food, Akaashi. Don’t be sad.”

Akaashi blinked, unsure of what Bokuto was talking about but his cheeks flushed when he realized that Bokuto had noticed something about him was off and he felt even more ashamed that he allowed his negative thoughts to get in the way of their dinner when he was the one who invited him out to eat in the first place. Bokuto continued prodding the burger towards him and it didn’t seem as though he would give up anytime soon so Akaashi leaned forward and took a bite. 

Bokuto carefully watched Akaashi for his reaction and when he received a thumbs up, he beamed and quickly went back to eating. Akaashi’s eyes softened, choking on his guilt as he struggled to block out everyone’s judgement. 

“They don’t matter,” he tried to tell himself, his gaze trained on his salad. He shovelled a few forkfuls into his mouth and lifted his gaze to see Bokuto’s eyes were locked on him, remnants of the burger still on his face. 

His golden eyes flashed and he gave Akaashi a grin, “Thank you for the meal, Akaashi!”

‘Yeah, they don’t matter,’ he mentally repeated to himself, returning Bokuto’s smile with a small one of his own. Bokuto continued watching him eat with soft eyes, his attention occasionally wandering and a question slipping past his lips, clearly excited to learn more about this strange world he never thought he would encounter. 

Akaashi continued explaining in between bites and Bokuto listened attentively, surprisingly not interrupting him. Somehow the world around them melted away and the voices of everyone else faded, leaving only Akaashi’s smooth voice to be heard.

By the time Akaashi finished eating, it was already 9:00 and he could tell Bokuto was eager to leave. He was practically bouncing in his seat from all his pent up energy. Akaashi quickly brought all of their trash over to the waste bin, shoving a napkin in Bokuto’s direction so he could wipe off all the crumbs sticking to his face. 

Bokuto complied but when Akaashi came back, a proud Bokuto stood before him with crumbs still on his face. Akaashi grabbed the tissue from him and reached up to do it himself. Bokuto wilted a little, saddened by the fact that he wasn’t able to do a good job by himself, but he cheered up again when Akaashi tapped his shoulder and gave him a smile.   
“Let’s go,” he said, walking out of the restaurant with Bokuto trailing after him. The audience watching them from the sidelines were left dumbfounded by the strangely intimate interaction between them, but Akaashi had long forgotten about their judgement, choosing to focus on himself and his companion.

He rubbed his hands together and exhaled, holding back a shiver. His warm breath fogged up the cold air and he shoved his hands in his pockets. He regretted not bringing a scarf with him and his teeth were beginning to chatter. His jacket really wasn’t doing much to help.

He glanced up at Bokuto who was glancing around at everything like usual, the bright lights of the city reflecting in his golden eyes, a kaleidoscope of colors. He seemed unfazed at how cold it was despite how thin his clothing was and the fact his arms and most of his legs were exposed. 

Akaashi began walking, unconsciously beginning to explain the different things he noticed Bokuto’s eyes lingering on. Of course there were things Akaashi didn’t know like how street lamps worked or exactly how so many of the buildings were built to be so tall, but he simply used his lack of knowledge as a way to introduce Bokuto to the basics of using a phone.

Bokuto caught on fast and Akaashi ended up handing him the phone, letting him look up anything he didn’t know by himself, but for the most part, he relied on Akaashi. At some point, Bokuto found himself asking the most random questions like “What makes the sky blue?” or “Why are there 365 days in a year?” even though he already knew the answer. He liked hearing Akaashi talk and he found it to be one of his favorite sounds. He wasn’t sure if it was because of how calming his voice was, but he felt at ease whenever he listened to him and he never wanted this contentment to end.

Akaashi never caught on to Bokuto’s fascination with his voice and he hadn’t realized how long they had been walking until he was right in front of his apartment complex. 

His explanation got cut short as he froze, turning to look at Bokuto who was already gazing at him with a soft expression. Bokuto’s golden eyes flickered behind him, widening in excitement. 

“Is this where you live, Akaashi?” 

Akaashi nodded, he hadn’t really planned on bringing Bokuto home but now that he was here, Akaashi didn’t really see any other option but to let him stay for the night. After all, it wasn’t as though he had anyone else he could rely on. 

They made their way up the stairs and walked to the very last door. The only sounds to be heard were the beeping of the code being punched in and the tapping of Bokuto’s impatient feet as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

Akaashi sucked in a breath before opening the door. The space was relatively small but it had all of the basic necessities needed for one person. A few plants were placed here and there, none of them large enough to take up too much space. They were a great motivator to get out of bed on some days since he was determined not to let any of them die after his previous failures when he first moved in. Their green leaves were proof of all his hard work.

Akaashi switched on the light, trading his leather shoes for a pair of slippers. He shrugged off his jacket and threw it onto the couch before heading to the kitchen and pouring himself a glass of water. 

Akaashi paused. He hadn’t heard any footsteps following after him and he looked towards the doorway to see Bokuto was still standing at the entrance. He looked unsure of what to do and hesitation was clear in his gaze when he locked eyes with Akaashi. 

“What are you still doing out there, Bokuto-san? Come in,” he welcomed, pulling out a pair of slippers he reserved for guests and handing them to him. Bokuto gratefully accepted them and took off his sandals, carefully placing them next to Akaashi’s shoes before finally stepping inside. 

“You must be cold,” he remarked once Bokuto finally settled down on the couch, his wide eyes taking everything in. 

At his words Bokuto shook his head, leaping off the couch and throwing himself onto Akaashi. “I’m warm, see?”

The sudden contact sent shivers down Akaashi’s spine, but he could tell Bokuto’s words rang true with how startling his warmth felt against Akaashi’s cold skin. He fought the urge to cling onto Bokuto’s heat and lightly pushed him away, immediately missing the comfort of his warmth.

“Well, there are blankets if you need it,” he ran a hand through his hair and took off his glasses to rub his eyes, “Since you don’t have anywhere else to stay, you can stay here for now but you’ll have to sleep on the couch.”

“You can go ahead and get ready for bed first,” Akaashi murmured, all the walking around sucked all the energy out of him and it certainly didn’t help that he had to wake up early tomorrow for work. “The bathroom is on the right.”

After a few moments, Akaashi looked up when he realized the apartment was strangely quiet. Bokuto was still standing in the same spot with his head tilted.

“Get ready for bed?” he questioned, his eyebrows furrowed.

“You know...brush your teeth, take a shower?” Akaashi replied, watching the same confused expression stay and a pout form on his lips. He let out a sigh, “Alright, come with me.”

Bokuto followed behind him like a lost puppy, his hands tracing the wall as they made their way to the bathroom. Akaashi began pointing out the different items placed throughout the small room while Bokuto eagerly listened and examined the objects, poking and prodding at each one.

Akaashi pointed towards the sink and turned on the faucet, “Turn it on and water will come out so you can wash your hands when they get dirty.”

Bokuto’s eyes widened in awe and he giggled, running his hand under the tap and splashing water everywhere. Akaashi knew it would be a pain to clean up but he didn’t have the heart to ruin Bokuto’s fun, not when his eyes were quite literally shining with happiness and his loud chuckles made the empty apartment seem less quiet.

Next, he opened a cabinet and pulled out two toothbrushes and two cups, handing one of each to Bokuto and keeping one for himself. Bokuto excitedly gripped the items in his large hands, eagerly watching Akaashi’s every move. Akaashi filled both cups with water and placed them on the counter before wetting his toothbrush and uncapping the toothpaste, squeezing some onto the bristles. Bokuto stared at him with pleading eyes and made grabby-hands for the toothpaste. Akaashi handed it over to him and Bokuto’s brows furrowed in concentration but he ended up squeezing a little too hard, getting too much toothpaste onto the brush which made it overflow.

“Use less force next time,” Akaashi instructed as Bokuto stared at him with a pout, disappointment in his gaze from his lack of success. Akaashi brought his own brush to his mouth and began his routine, Bokuto mimicking his movements until he finally got into his own rhythm. 

After a few minutes of brushing in silence, Akaashi took out his toothbrush and Bokuto did the same, both of their mouths now covered in white from the toothpaste. Akaashi spit into the sink and grabbed the cup of water to rinse his mouth. He expected Bokuto to do the same but when he only heard silence, he glanced at Bokuto whose hair was drooping once again.

“What’s wrong?” Akaashi questioned, raising one of his eyebrows as he used one of the towels hanging on the rack to wipe his face. 

“I swallowed it,” Bokuto replied, ashamedly. 

“The toothpaste?” he asked, pointing towards the tube lying on the counter. 

Bokuto nodded sadly and Akaashi sighed, “I’m sure just once is fine. Make sure you remember to spit it out next time though, I doubt swallowing too much toothpaste will do you any good.” 

Bokuto’s eyes brightened again and he washed his face, making sure there was no toothpaste left. Akaashi handed him a towel and Bokuto began vigorously rubbing his face, his skin reddening under his force. The blue-eyed man quickly stopped him and grabbed his wrists, almost flinching at the heat coursing up his arms from where his hand met Bokuto’s skin.

It was electrifying, the effect Bokuto’s touch had on him. 

Bokuto froze once he felt Akaashi’s cold fingers gripping his wrists. Akaashi wasn’t sure Bokuto felt the same nervousness he felt whenever he touched him, but from the wide look in his eyes and his parted lips, Akaashi was sure Bokuto felt something, but it was something neither of them could name. 

This was a foreign experience for both of them. While Bokuto had been in the company of both men and women for most of his life and he occasionally shared a kiss or two, he had never felt this way before and it was certainly not something Akaashi had ever experienced with any of his coworkers or friends.

“Gently,” Akaashi muttered, breaking free of the trance Bokuto seemed to cast onto him and letting go of his wrists, “If you rub your face like that, your skin will get irritated.”

Bokuto attempted it again but his movements were still harsh and Akaashi extended a hand and took the towel from him. He came closer and gently patted his face using the towel, “See? Just pat your face like thi-.”

Golden eyes locked onto blue ones as the towel dropped. Their faces were inches apart and any closer and their lips would be a hair's breadth away from touching. Silence ensued as neither of them made any movement to back away but Akaashi finally came to when he felt Bokuto’s minty breath fanning his face. He pulled back, almost stumbling from his sudden movements and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He turned away from Bokuto and bent down to pick up the towel. 

Both of them shared similarly flushed cheeks and there was a loopy grin tugging on Bokuto’s lips. Akaashi clenched the damp towel in his hand and turned on his heels, walking out of the bathroom. “That should be fine. Just come out here once you’re done.”

He swore he could hear Bokuto struggling to hold back his chuckles and he flushed even more when he remembered the startling glow of his golden eyes. Akaashi cursed himself for behaving this way when he was normally commended for his calm personality and his nonchalance even in the most stressful of events. 

But there was something about Bokuto that made Akaashi forget the person he tried so hard to portray himself as and he wasn’t sure whether or not he liked the fact that someone was able to break down his walls so easily. Sunlight had never made it this far into his heart but now that he felt its warmth, he was afraid of letting go. 

Akaashi fumbled with the blanket and spread it out over the couch. He paused once he heard footsteps from behind him and he hastily began smoothing out invisible wrinkles.

“Akaashi?” Bokuto said, causing him to still. 

He looked up at the owl-like man and grabbed one of the pillows lying on the couch. He threw it at him, making sure not to use too much force, “It’s getting late. We should go to sleep. Just wake me up if you need anything.”

Bokuto nodded eagerly and sat down on the couch, seemingly still full of energy while Akaashi dragged himself back and forth, bringing another blanket and more pillows in case Bokuto were to need it. 

He dusted off the invisible dust on his clothes and began walking down the hallway once he was done, but he stopped when he heard a loud voice call, “G’night, Akaashi.”

“Goodnight, Bokuto-san,” he replied, turning off the lights, encasing the apartment in darkness.

Akaashi opened the door to his room and changed into his fraying pajamas. It had been a while since he went shopping for new clothes but he figured he could fill up his own closet now that he had an excuse to spend money on outfits. Bokuto’s strange clothes definitely weren’t suitable for living in Japan especially with how cold the weather was now that winter was nearing. 

He pulled back the blanket and crawled onto the mattress. The familiar rays of moonlight filtered through the window and the same clock echoed throughout the house but Akaashi was sure he could still feel the warmth of Bokuto’s skin flush against his own. Loneliness once made his chest its home, lodging pomegranate seeds in his throat, and forcing the breath from his lungs, but with Bokuto here, warmth was now a familiar comfort he wasn’t sure he would be able to let go.


	3. Chapter 3: hestia's curse

Akaashi flinched at the sudden heat kissing the exposed skin of his forearm. His eyes snapped open and in the darkness he could vaguely make out the large form of the man he had welcomed into his apartment only hours ago. 

“Bokuto-san?” he whispered, his voice cracking from its lack of use. He rubbed the sleep away from his eyes and grabbed his glasses, wincing as his eyes adjusted to the clear vision. 

“I’m sorry, Akaashi,” Bokuto pouted as he shifted back and forth on his feet, “I didn’t want to wake you and I tried counting sheep so I could fall asleep but it won’t go away and I can’t hold it in anymore. I gotta pee, Akaashi.”

Akaashi quickly got out of bed and slipped on his slippers, quickly padding over to the restroom. “I told you it was alright to wake me up if you needed anything. You didn’t have to force yourself to hold it in,” he frowned, “Just wake me up next time. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, Bokuto-san.”

“Okay, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto mumbled.

Akaashi pushed open the door to the restroom and turned on the light, nudging a fidgety Bokuto inside. He pointed towards the toilet and the silver knob on the side, “Aim into the water and push down on the silver knob once you’re done.”

He stumbled out of the restroom and closed the door behind him. “I’ll be right outside if you need me and don’t forget to wash your hands when you’re finished.”

“M’kay,” Akaashi heard him reply. He leaned against the door and his gaze flickered towards the clock in the living room. There were only two more hours until he had to get up for work and normally he would rather just stay up than risk oversleeping and being late, but he had already pulled too many all-nighters and he needed to catch up on his sleep before he collapsed. 

He heard a flush and the sound of the faucet turning on. Akaashi backed away from the door only seconds before it opened, an excited Bokuto greeting him. Akaashi winced at the sudden light, unsure of whether the bright glow was a result of Bokuto or the lights in the bathroom. 

“So cool, Akaashi!” he exclaimed to which Akaashi responded with a tired smile, trudging his way back to his bedroom while Bokuto followed after him. “How does it work? Where does the water go? Why does it go ‘whoosh’?”

Akaashi scratched his head, “I’m not too sure but the force of the water going down the drain is probably what makes the noise and the toilet connects to the plumbing system which leads to…”

Bokuto nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with curiosity as he urged Akaashi to continue but Akaashi only shook his head, mumbling, “It’s too early for this.”

He climbed back into bed after making sure all the lights were turned off, leaving Bokuto looking dejected. He reached over to unplug his phone from the charger and handed it over to him. “Here, you can search it up yourself but for now I need my sleep so good night, Bokuto-san.”

“But it’s morning, Akaashi,” he whispered, concern and confusion swirling in his golden eyes. He tilted his head and made no move to come and take the phone so Akaashi reluctantly pulled himself out of bed and padded over to him, taking a warm hand in his own and plopping the phone in Bokuto’s open palm. 

“Yes, you’re right. It is morning but right now I need to sleep and it’s still dark out so the rules of night still apply.”

Akaashi took off his glasses and placed them on the nightstand before curling up in the now cold sheets, lightly shivering. 

“Don’t worry, Akaashi,” Bokuto confidently assured, “The sun is going to come up soon and then it’ll be morning!”

“Mhm,” Akaashi mumbled, his mind barely registering Bokuto’s words. He was too tired to focus on anything but his need to catch up on his sleep and he let out a small yawn, allowing his eyes to close once he heard the bedroom door click shut and the thud of Bokuto’s footsteps slowly fade away. 

By the time he woke up, the sun had indeed risen and the rays of light filtered into his bedroom, filling the crevices where darkness used to lie. Akaashi slipped out of bed and trudged into the bathroom, wincing at his swollen face and the eyebags that had somehow darkened. 

He let out a sigh and brushed his teeth, unnerved by the strange silence blanketing the apartment. For a moment, he was concerned that Bokuto had run away or that all that happened yesterday was just a dream but when he entered the living room he felt a mix of both relief and confusion. 

Bokuto hadn’t left but what he was faced with was not something he had expected. There was what appeared to be a great horned owl perched on top of the coffee table and Bokuto was sitting right in front of it. It was an amusing sight seeing as Bokuto resembled the owl in more ways than one and they looked as though they were engaged in a staring contest of sorts. 

Akaashi wasn’t sure how the owl had gotten in but he was too tired to be concerned and it was more strange for a man to fall out of the sky than a bird to be in the living room so he merely blinked and continued on with his morning routine. 

From the looks of it, the owl was relaxed and showed no sign of wanting to attack, but after making a cup of coffee and returning to the living room to see that both the owl and Bokuto had yet to move, he couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer. 

“Bokuto-san? What are you doing?” his voice was tinged with sleep as he took small sips from the mug clenched between cold hands. 

“Oh, good morning, Akaashi!” Bokuto perked up and his gaze snapped in Akaashi’s direction. The owl followed his gaze, fixating its golden eyes onto Akaashi who was a little unnerved but calmly stared back. Bokuto pointed a finger at the owl and exclaimed, “This is Bokuto.”

Akaashi paused, taking a long sip of his coffee before asking, “You named him after yourself?”

The bright smile on Bokuto’s face faltered and Akaashi was quick to notice, hastily amending his words, “It’s just if there are two Bokuto-san’s then how will you know which one of you I’m calling.” 

Bokuto’s gray brows furrowed as he contemplated Akaashi’s words. The owl paid no interest to either one of them and paced around the table, examining the layout of the small apartment. 

“Okay, I guess we can just call him Owl-san then.” 

Akaashi nodded, a part of him relieved now that Bokuto was smiling again. “Owl-san, it is.” 

Bokuto trailed over to where Akaashi was standing in the kitchen, curious as to what the strong aroma filling apartment was. He leaned over and took a whiff of Akaashi’s mug, his eyes brightening.

Akaashi extended the mug in his direction, “Would you like to take a sip?”

Bokuto nodded and took the mug from him, taking a big gulp, unbothered by the heat. His face scrunched up from how strong the coffee was and he quickly shoved the mug back into Akaashi’s hands. “It’s yucky.”

He frowned and looked around for something to drink to wash away the bitter taste. Akaashi continued taking sips of his coffee as Bokuto shoved his head under the kitchen faucet and began drinking from the tap. 

When he was finally done, he let out a big sigh, his grin on his face once again. Akaashi grabbed a paper towel and handed it to him so he could wipe his face, which he did carefully, remembering what Akaashi showed him the night before. 

“What is that called?” Bokuto asked, pointing to the mug. 

“It’s coffee,” Akaashi replied.

“I don’t like it.”

Akaashi let out a small laugh, making Bokuto’s frown slip from his face as he craned his ears, hoping to hear him laugh again. His hair perked up and Owl-san stared at Bokuto with curiosity, noticing his strange behavior when it came to the blue-eyed man. 

Akaashi placed his mug down on the counter and opened one of the kitchen cabinets. He grabbed a small packet from a basket while Bokuto watched him earnestly from where he was standing. Akaashi opened the packet and poured it into another mug before filling a pot with milk. He waited until the milk began to simmer and poured it into the mug, stirring the contents with a spoon. 

He handed the mug over to Bokuto who was unsure of what to make of the contents. It didn’t smell like coffee but he wasn’t too sure he would like what was in the mug. Akaashi watched him with soft eyes and when he saw Bokuto’s hesitation, he assured, “Stop worrying, Bokuto-san. Just try it out. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

Bokuto took a tentative sip, his eyes brightening when he registered the sweet taste of the hot cocoa on his taste buds. He ended up finishing the drink in one go, while Akaashi stared at him in shock, wondering how he wasn’t affected by how hot it was. His bottom lip jutted out into a pout as his eyes begged Akaashi for more and he extended the mug in his direction. 

Akaashi only shook his head, finishing his own coffee and placing both mugs into the sink. “You shouldn’t drink too much. I’ll make you another cup when I get home from work today.” 

“You’re leaving me?” Bokuto asked, sadness clear in his voice.

“I’ll be coming back later tonight,” he assured.

The look in his eyes almost made Akaashi want to take the day off but he knew it was impossible with how much there was to do so instead he decided to compromise, “I promise I’ll make you two cups of hot cocoa so don’t be sad, okay?”

Bokuto perked up, pumping his fists in the air as he vigorously nodded. 

“Are you hungry?” Akaashi questioned, finally remembering that the taller male had yet to eat breakfast. He wasn’t one to eat in the morning so it slipped in his mind. He was usually too busy trying to get ready for work and on the rare occasion he did feel hungry, he would stop by a bakery on the way. But Bokuto couldn’t exactly follow him to work so going to the bakery wasn’t an option. 

He was sure that Bokuto would somehow find himself lost somewhere if he had to find his way back to the apartment by himself. 

Bokuto’s stomach growled which answered his question and he finished up washing the mugs and placing them on the rack to dry before opening the fridge. He spotted a plate of onigiri that he made yesterday morning that he never got to eat and he placed one aside for himself and gave one to Bokuto. 

“This is called onigiri. It has a tuna mayo filling.”

Bokuto accepted the onigiri with two hands, the onigiri seeming tiny in his large grasp. 

“If you get hungry, feel free to eat more later. I’ll leave the plate in the fridge.”

He nodded, his golden eyes shining bright with curiosity as he examined the well-wrapped item. Akaashi wasn’t really one to go out of his way to learn recipes because he really only cooked for himself but all the meals he did know how to make, he made well. 

Owl-san flew over and perched on a chair near Bokuto, its eyes clearly on the onigiri in his hands. For a moment, Bokuto felt the urge to hide away in some place where only he could eat Akaashi’s food but the owl’s gaze was so eager he couldn’t resist breaking off a piece. 

By now Akaashi had left the room in order to get ready for work and he came back to see Bokuto had finished the onigiri and was now eagerly digging into another. 

He glanced up at Akaashi almost guiltily and when Akaashi glanced at Owl-san, he quickly stood in front of the owl, trying to cover up the fact that they were both stuffing their faces full of Akaashi’s hard work. 

“It’s alright, Bokuto-san,” he wrapped a scarf around his neck and placed a hand-warmer in his pocket, knowing he would be needing it later. “Go ahead and eat as much as you want. I’ll make something else for the both of us to eat once I get home.”

The promise fell from his lips with ease. Akaashi had known Bokuto for less than 24 hours and yet he was slowly becoming a permanent part of his schedule. 

He grabbed his phone from where it was on the couch and picked up his bag, shoving the onigiri he had put aside into one of the pockets. 

“Just try not to feed Owl-san too much,” he frowned, “I don’t know if it’s safe for owls to eat human food.”

Bokuto nodded and Akaashi continued, “I’ll be bringing my phone with me in case I get an important call but feel free to watch t.v. or read any of the books on the shelves. Pretty much the only rule I have is not to burn down the apartment.”

Bokuto nodded again, but this time it seemed as though he was more interested in glancing around at all the possibilities of what he could do rather than paying attention to what Akaashi was saying. He decided to speak a little louder, stressing the importance of his words, “I can trust you right, Bokuto-san?”

“Of course!” he replied, a wide grin splitting his face. He poked himself in the chest and he stood up straighter, trying to seem bigger than he actually was. Owl-san followed along and it was almost amusing to see how similar the two of them were. “I’m very trustworthy. I won’t let anything bad happen, Akaashi. Don’t worry.”

Akaashi felt a sense of unease at his words but he went along with it anyway, after all he did let a stranger sleep in his house and if Bokuto’s intentions were to steal anything, he would have done so by now.

After a brief introduction on how to use the t.v., Akaashi glanced at his watch to see that he was running late and he offered a swift good-bye to both Bokuto and Owl-san before exiting the apartment. 

He tightly gripped the strap of his bag, cursing himself for taking so long to get ready and hoping that when he came home, everyone would be safe and uninjured. He fixed his glasses, blinking hazily as a headache began to build. It seemed he would be needing another pair of glasses soon. 

He reached the office just in time and unraveled his scarf, placing it on top of his bag before getting to work. His thoughts switched between Bokuto and the current piece he was editing, unable to focus on either one. 

It seemed that despite Bokuto’s confident response, Akaashi was anything but confident in his ability to sit still and watch t.v. for the whole day. He only hoped that both he and Owl-san would cause minimal damage to the apartment. He really wasn’t in the mood to be looking for another place to live on top of all the stress working as an editor caused him. 

By the time lunch rolled around, Akaashi found that his anxiety had only increased. He nervously ate the onigiri, barely registering the taste from how worried he was. Really, it was a shame considering how much time he spent making it but his concerns weren’t on whether or not the onigiri was good but rather if Bokuto would be in one piece by the time he came home. Akaashi quite liked him despite the indifferent front he put up at times and while he didn’t want to admit it, Bokuto was someone he cared about even though he only met him the day before. 

He was barely able to finish his work and when it was finally time to clock out, he swiftly left the office, wanting to get home as fast as possible. The scarf wrapped around his throat swayed in the wind as he ran. He could feel the bitter wind biting at his lungs with every passing second but he relished in the warmth coursing through his body, the blood pumping through his veins and the adrenaline rush pushing him all the way home. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so alive.

His days were so blurred by his hours at work that he barely spent any time working out other than the occasional walk around the block to buy groceries at the nearby market. He knew he would undoubtedly be sore the next morning but it was the least of his worries at the moment. His mind was only filled with thoughts about Bokuto.

Akaashi raced up the stairs, his frozen fingers fumbling with the keypad. After a few tries and multiple muttered curses he was finally able to unlock the door and he rushed inside. 

But the small smile on his face dropped when he saw how dark the apartment was.


End file.
